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Season summary[]

Beginning with this season, Sanford and Son introduced a new opening sequence, where it shows Fred Sanford wiping the sweat on his head below his hand while waiting for Lamont to come, the next scene shows Lamont driving in his truck to go to the salvage, instead of walking over to the chair to sit while reading a newspaper while waiting for Lamont to come, and Lamont stops the truck in a red light, just like they did in the first four seasons.

Sanford and Son episodes[]

Season Episodes Originally aired DVD release date
Season premiere Season finale
Season 1 14 January 14, 1972 April 14, 1972 August 6, 2002
Season 2 24 September 15, 1972 March 16, 1973 February 4, 2003
Season 3 24 September 14, 1973 March 29, 1974 October 7, 2003
Season 4 25 September 13, 1974 April 25, 1975 March 30, 2004
Season 5 24 September 12, 1975 March 19, 1976 September 14, 2004
    Season 6 24 September 24, 1976 March 25, 1977 June 7, 2005

Season 5: 1975–76 episode summary[]

Season 5
No. in Series Episode # Title Directed by Written by Original Airdate Prod. Code
88 1 "Earthquake II" Bill Foster Jerry Ross September 12, 1975 509
An earthquake shakes up the Sanfords, and the threat of an even bigger quake sparks Fred to sell the house and seek shelter in Las Vegas.
89 2 "Divorce, Sanford Style" Alan Rafkin Ted Bergmann September 19, 1975 505
Following a fight with Woodrow, Aunt Esther moves in with Fred and Lamont. Fred works overtime engineering a reconciliation so she'll return home.
90 3 "Bank on This" Alan Rafkin Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein September 26, 1975 506
Fred and Lamont are applying for a loan to finance their purchase of Julio's former property when a pair of robbers burst into the bank.
91 4 "The Sanford Arms" Mark Warren Ted Bergman October 3, 1975 508
With the bank ready to foreclose, Fred and Lamont desperately seek to find tenants for the Sanford Arms.
92 5 "Steinberg and Son" James Sheldon Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein October 10, 1975 511
The series spoofs itself when the characters in the new television show "Steinberg and Son" turn out to be Borscht Belt parallels to those in the life of Fred G. Sanford.
93 6 "Brother, Can You Spare an Act?" Bill Foster Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein October 17, 1975 510
When Fred's white brother-in-law Rodney lands a job emceeing a local vaudeville revival, Fred, Lamont and Smiley Rogers help out by providing the song and dance.
94 7 "Della, Della, Della" Mark Warren Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein October 31, 1975 514
When two competing politicians each seek to use Fred's junkyard for a campaign headquarters, Della Reese appeals to Fred to stand by her man.
95 8 "Donna Pops The Question" James Sheldon Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein November 7, 1975 503
After receiving a proposal from another man, Donna gives Fred one final chance to marry her.
96 9 "My Fair Esther" James Sheldon Jerry Ross November 14, 1975 512
Fred becomes a latter-day Henry Higgins when he undertakes the task of transforming ugly duckling Esther into a swan so she can win the Mrs. Watts Businessman's Contest and net Fred half the prize money.
97 10 "Sanford and Rising Son" Mark Warren Ted Bergman and Garry Shandling November 21, 1975 516
Fred and Ah Chew team up and turn the Sanford home into a Japanese restaurant.
98 11 "The Olympics" Mark Warren Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll, Jr. December 5, 1975 504
Jealous of Donna's athletic new boyfriend, Fred begins training so he can challenge him in the Senior Olympics.
99 12 "Ebenezer Sanford" James Sheldon Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein December 12, 1975 518
Tightfisted Fred gets a ghostly wake-up call in this spoof of "A Christmas Carol."
100 13 "The Oddfather" James Sheldon Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein January 2, 1976 502
Fred is wounded while witnessing a mob hit and is hospitalized under police protection until he can identify Mr. Big.
101 14 "Can You Chop This?" Mark Warren Joni Rhodes January 9, 1976 515
Fred plans to get rich quick by selling Whopper Chopper food processors, using Lamont's acting school tuition money to make his initial investment.
102 15 "Greatest Show in Watts" Sid McCoy Jerry Ross January 16, 1976 513
While babysitting an elephant, Fred holds a circus in the junkyard, allowing the cast to display their talents, especially Aunt Esther as the Bronze Goddess.
103 16 "Fred Sanford Has a Baby" James Sheldon Jay Burton January 23, 1976 517
A very pregnant woman rents Lamont's room for the week he's away on a fishing trip.
104 17 "The TV Addict" Mark Warren Jerry Ross January 30, 1976 507
Fred's lifestyle of too much TV and too little exercise has Lamont concerned for his father's health, so Fred undergoes hypnotism to break his addiction to television.
105 18 "Lamont in Love" Alan Rafkin Ted Bergman February 6, 1976 519
When Lamont falls in love with a mysterious woman, Fred and Esther play amateur sleuths to learn more about her.
106 19 "The Escorts" Alan Rafkin Jerry Ross February 13, 1976 520
When Fred's friend Elroy can't find a date, Fred's inspired to launch his latest get rich quick scheme: an escort service for seniors.
107 20 "The Engagement Man Always Rings Twice" Lewis Gomavitz Ted Bergman February 20, 1976 521
Lamont musters the courage to pop the question to Janet.
108 21 "The Director" Alan Rafkin Garry Shandling February 27, 1976 524
Starstruck Fred assumes the director's chair when the champ George Foreman comes to star in a play for Lamont's theater workshop.
109 22 "A Pain in the Neck" Alan Rafkin Rick Mittleman March 5, 1976 522
Fred's friends have got his back, as he discovers when he suffers from a backache on the day he is to receive the Watts Businessman's award and his friends rush to his aid with all kinds of quack cures.
110 23 "Sergeant Gork" Bill Wyse Teleplay by

Ted Bergman Story by Redd Foxx and Ted Bergman

March 12, 1976 525
Fred regales young Roger with tall tales of his World War II exploits that draw more from the late movie than the history books.
111 24 "Camping Trip" Alan Rafkin Garry Shandling March 19, 1976 523
Lamont brings Fred along on a camping trip to have some solitude and quality time together. Fred is no friend of nature and does nothing but complain...when the truck won't start they are stranded and begin to reminisce about old times.
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